Читать книгу RVs & Campers For Dummies - Christopher Hodapp - Страница 44

In recent years, manufacturers have pushed the limits of Class B sizes to make them bigger and add more amenities. These Super Bs or B+ motorhomes are still regular vans underneath, but they’re taller and longer, with more room — typically, they’re 30 to 32 feet in length. Unlike a standard Class B, the manufacturers cut away everything but the van’s front cab and add their own fiberglass body behind it. The biggest ones can sleep as many as four very friendly people, as long as you all keep the word snug in mind.

Super Bs often have a slide-out section to get even roomier inside, and the rooflines on these bigger Bs can be higher, too. Most Class Bs have a pretty low ceiling, but Super Bs either start out as a taller cargo van or add a raised fiberglass roof. A high-end Class B+ like a Coach House has a singular appearance, much more like a streamlined Class C motorhome than a van, with a remarkable level of amenities for the size. A Super B like the Thor Compass may just as well be called a Class C, the boundary is so fuzzy.

Photograph courtesy of Christopher Hodapp

Speaking of bathrooms, Class Bs and some small travel trailers feature a wet bath to keep from having a separate space-hogging shower stall. A wet bath has a drain in the floor and a handheld shower head so that the entire bathroom becomes your shower stall. Although it saves lots of space, it means that all your People magazines, your toiletries bag, and anything else in the bathroom will get soaked. Depending on the arrangement, you may be standing right up against the toilet while you shower or even sitting on the toilet lid as you attempt to shave your legs.

The price range of Class Bs can be frustrating. Even though they’re much smaller than their Class A competition, they aren’t priced that way. Square foot for square foot, Class Bs are the most expensive of all RV types on the road. They commonly start at $90,000 and can go upwards of $200,000. Even used Class Bs tend to retain high resale value.